New First Aid Training Arrangements

From the 1st October 2009 HSE has introduced a new first aid regime contained in their revised Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) on First Aid at Work.

The minimum requirements will stay the same and employers must continue to nominate a person to take charge of first aid arrangements, provide a suitably stocked first aid box, provide information to employees about first aid arrangements and ensure that their first aiders have a valid certificate issued by a HSE approved provider.

The new arrangements will require individual first aiders to hold a certificate of competence in either first aid at work (3 day course) – the FAW certificate - or an emergency first aid at work (1 day course) – EFAW certificate - before they take up any first aid duties.

Both certificates are valid for three years and employers must ensure that first aiders re-train before their certificate expires. However, it is recommended that they undertake annual refresher training courses.
The new arrangements will apply only when they undertake their retraining on or after the 1st October 2009.

HSEs pages on first aid can be accessed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/ and contain information about HSE approved first aid training organisations and advice on first aid at work.